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AlphaBands Week XIX: S is for Smetana

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Here's my latest entry for AlphaBands! 

Among the many classical composers whose work I listened to as a child, Mozart is my favorite.  That being said, there is one piece of classical music that I love above all, but it was not written by the talented Austrian. 

Bedřich Smetana was a 19th century composer who is known as the father of Czech music.  His nationalistically themed compositions are legendary in the Czech Republic; there is a museum dedicated to his life and work in the capital, Prague.  The piece which I adore is named after the river on which the museum stands, the Vltava.

Vltava (more commonly known by its German name, Die Moldau) is the second in a set of six symphonic poems called, "Má Vlast" ("My Fatherland" in Czech).  The music was written as a tribute to Smetana's country and each poem represents an aspect of Bohemia's countryside, legends, and history. 

Vltava is the piece of music for which Smetana is known throughout the world.  It is often played as a stand alone piece when performed live.  It is the most beautiful piece of music I can think of.  From the WIki page:  

"The composition describes the course of the Vltava, starting from the two small springs, the Cold and Warm Vltava, to the unification of both streams into a single current, the course of the Vltava through woods and meadows, through landscapes where a farmer's wedding is celebrated, the round dance of the mermaids in the night's moonshine: on the nearby rocks loom proud castles, palaces and ruins aloft. The Vltava swirls into the St John's Rapids; then it widens and flows toward Prague, past the Vyšehrad, and then majestically vanishes into the distance, ending at the Labe (or Elbe, in German)."

Listen to Vltava here: youtu.be/XDjE6H5HqWk
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Igotbillgormaned's avatar
GOD DAMN, Z CESKYCH LUHU A HAJU IS TO LOUD!!!!!!!!!
SMOKE IS COMING OUT OF MY HEADPHONES AND PHONES, GOD WHY DID I PLUG IT INTO 6 BOOM BOXES. WELL NOW MY FAVORITE PART IS HERE